Knee-joint for artificial legs.



. G. B. WINN.

KNEE JOINT FOB, ARTIFICIAL LEGS.

' APPLICATION FILED AUGJO, 1914. 391 ji 5,3m e Patented @en 2?, 191@L 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MTURNHS G. B. WENN.

KNEE JOINT POB ARTPIGIAL LEGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1Q. 1914. L l famme@ im. 2'?, 1914.

2 SHEETS-HEBT 2.

3i 30 rss g2 ATTORNEYS fiole make anni use me same, refeeme to the. accompanjmg drawmgsf .d to ehe mevde "for mmmel nm'ed cmstueen pref-2de .a jom* Win nomcai in Construction and efeien and dumbe in operatsn. A urther Fuegos@ pro-*fide a knee javi very fev.' 'S e. nam-ion mpcse el' im a slee @mnu of 1 -erg aise f su s er su@ faces of the lewe? section *whereby E@ me@ jcsn is secgre that is pecuary We aap ed resist he strains to which the. .knee joint is subjected and whereby a sufcenty s-rong knee jfintis obtained with mum of WeOlJ.

furither pupose of nvenlon is te 'provide a knee jont heleu ine, knee boit extending through the :mee of the tion of the leg svsuppozted 90th @ms a?, s middle le lower ieg Vet is secu-fed the lewe? le tSingle fast-@Diff means joint is reaeiy assembez Stili fm EPat-ente 1Q seriali@ 55eme'.

Anele purpose Gf my invention is wende mlproved peramg 'the U -f simpa whereby the n, power' and Move-ment 1s obtame a'wweesant S1113 eg ei' tte snsuder str eesslve g. 271s a rear View of l Fig. 3 a @ernenon e few on Eme el new e the' poson may m 'sit-cmg eifswn.

'ehe bfv eeuwen. T is a iop View Gf pzu''s shmvn in 6 but With/hath apen he journal porion of the -boi;.

Refering to'the drawings in a more new tcular descrpon 'here is shown the ewer @n of the usua hoov: kthigh ponan iis lower enf Curved or ounde. '30 fozm the usual knee ll and previ"- vertical Central Snt l2 at the rear from the lm'fes; peint of the knee above bct 3 3 is jomnee both sides Of its cenf ig sutabe bearings 14 extending trans- 'velse'ly of he thigh section 1 0 and is proe-Wer eg section upon iis knee joni which.

,the llower side of the bridge a metallic I securely fastened in washer 22.

Upon the upper portion of both sides of the lower leg section 17 are provided upwardly extending projections 23 the upper ends of which form semi-circular opentopped supports 24 into which rests the lower side of the ends of the knee-bolt 13 said knee bolt projecting outwardly from the opposite sides of the knee 11 of the thigh section 10. Against the outer sides of these side projections 23 at .23? immediately below the open-topped supports 24 bearthe inner surface 15a of the bolt heads ,15 whereby any movement of the lower leg section longitudinally of said knee bolt is prevented and mostvof the side strain is removed from the tail piece 16 of the T-bolt. These upward projections 23 may be formed integral with f the lowerle section .17 but preferably will be formed o1g stronger and harder or heavier material than is necessary for the body of the lower leg section 17. Where as is comsection 17 is formed of relatively light wood such as willow, the upward projections 23 may be formed of a piece of much harder and heavier wood such as hickory or ash let into the body of lower leg section 17 and position and properly supported as by resting down upon the ends of bridge 19 as plainly shown in the drawings. Adjusting screws 25 may be used in the usual manner to effect proper regulation and fit of the bearings 14 in the knee of the thigh piece about the\knee bolt 13. These tightening screws 25 are shown in the 'drawings as being mounted in blocks 26 inserted in the diagonal slots 27 made in the rear of the knee 11 during the process of locating the T-bolt and its bearings permanently in the thigh section.

It will now be seen that-with the two sections of the leg properly formed and with the `T-bolt -permanently journaled in the thighsection as indicated, the lknee joint is assembled and the two sectionsv of the leg pivotally secured to.each other by simply bringing vthe two sectionsvof the leg together with the projecting ends of ing in the'supports 24 and with the shoulder 18 of tail piece 16 resting upon bridge 19 and the screw-threaded end 16a projecting through the aperture '20 of said bridge below which bridge the said downwardly projecting end 16a of said tail piece receives ywasher 22 and nut 2l. The knee jointthus assembled may be very readily taken apartsimply by removing nut 21 'bines ease feral figures @end of link -with the roller 327011 pin 33 is rollingly fstraps (not shown), thev limb by slight elevation of his shoulders puts a strong upward tension or pull upon .the strap 34 in operated or controlledknee joints.

the T-bolt restt of'said tail piecel from downwardly projecting ends 16a of the tail piece of the knee bolt and then drawing the thigh piece and its attached T-bolt directly away from the lower leg section 17.

It will now be seen that my invention provides a very simple knee joint which may be connected or disconnected by screwing into place or removing from its place one I j joint with an end support or three-point support of the T-bolt upon the lower leg section is of great advantage in that it com- 1of manufacture, fitting, adjusting and repair of the leg with great strength and durability of the knee joint in actual use.

As a peculiarly simple and elicient means I provide upon the knee is pivotally mounted a side 31 which is toward piece 16 recessed or inplainly indicated .in sevof the drawings. To the outer 30 which is preferably supplied wardly curved as mounted the looped lower central portion of a strap 34 the upwardly extending ends of which preferably pass over 36 at and thence outward through slots 37 and 38 in the front and rear respectively of the thigh section and are then secured in any rollers 35 and the front and rear of the thi-gh section desired way as to the ordinary shoulder whereby the wearer of the way usual'to shoulder- The arms 28 projecting forwardly from the knee bolt act in an obvious manner as crank arms transmitting a rotating motion tgzthevknee bolt 13 in its bearingsl in the thigh portion and through the rigid connection of tail piece 16 to the lower leg ysection upwardmovement of said arms 28 moves the lower leg section forwardly upon the knee joint.

In knee joints controlled by a lstrap operatively connected to a crank arm upon the 'knee bolt as hereinbefore described it is .necessary that the said crank arm project operation of a knee joint wherein as heretofore described a knee-bolt permanently =journaled in the thigh section has a downwardly projecting portion rigidly secured to Amonly the case the main body of lower leg the lower leg section,

bolt 13 forwardly projecting arms 28 upon `which as by pin 29 link 30 whichhas its the rear when the link is swung upwardly vrelative to the tail lower end of the tail piece of said bolt and its tail piece in said 3. In a knee joint of an combination of a thigh section having a centrally disposed vertical slot in the rear of the knee, a T-bolt fpermanently journaled in the knee portion o the thigh section having its tail piece in said slot and the ends of the journal piece projectmg beyond the knee, a .lower leg section apertured at its top to receive the knee of the thigh section and provided with an upwardly extending projection on each side forming an open-topped support for said journal ends, a bridge in the lower leg section adapted to support the means detachably securing .said tail piece to said bridge. A

4. In a lmee joint of an artificial leg the combination of a thigh section having a centrally disposed vertical slotin the rear of the knee, a T-bolt permanently journaled in the knee portion o the thigh section having slot and the ends of the journal piece projecting beyond the knee, a lower leg section apertured at its top to re-L ceive the knee of the thigh section and provided with an upwardlyextending projeo tion on each side yforming an open-topped support for said journal ends, a bridge in the lower leg section adapted to support the lower end of the tail piece of said bolt and screw-threaded means detachably securing said tail piece to said bridge.

5. Ina knee joint of an articial leg the combination of a thigh section having a centrally disposed vertical slot in the rear of the knee, a T-bolt` permanently journaled in the knee portion of the thigh section having its tail piece in lsaid slot and the ends of the journal pieceprojecting beyond the knee, a lower leg section apertured at its top to receive the knee of the thigh section and provided with an upwardly extending projection on each side forming an open-topped support for said journal ends, means for supporting said tail pieceupon and detachably securing it to the lower' leg section and enlarged heads upon the projecting journal ends havingl their inner surface bear against the outside of the thigh portion above said journal whereby movement of said thigh section longitudinal of said journal is prevented.

6. In a knee joint of an artificial leg the combination of a thighl section having a centrally` disposed vertical slot in'the'rear of the knee, a T-bolt permanently journaled in the knee portion of the thigh section having its tail piece in said slot and the ends of the journal piece projecting beyond the knee, a ower leg section apertured at its top to receive the knee of the'thigh section and provided with an upwardly extending projection on each side forming an vopen-topped support for said journal ends, means for supporting said. tail piece uponvand detachartificial leg the i section, a knee 'ably securing it to the lower leg section and enlarged heads upon the projecting journal ends having their inner surface bear against the outside of said o en-topped supports l and against the outsi e of the thigh portion above said journal whereby movement of said leg sections longitudinal of said jectlon on each side forming an open-topped support for said journal ends, means :for supporting said tail piece upon and detachably securing it to the lower le section, for-v wardly extendin arms upon t e knee journal and upwardly extending means opera-v tively connected thereto wherebyl upward tension upon said means moves the lower leg section forwardly.

8. In a knee joint'of an artificial leg the i combination of a thigh section having a cen-. trally disposed vertical slot in the rear of the knee, a T-bolt ermanently journaled in the knee portion o? the thigh section'having its tail piece in said slot and the ends of the journal piece projecting beyond the knee, a lower leg section apertured at its top to receive the knee of the' thigh section and provided with an upwardly extending projec' tion on each side forming an open-topped support for said journal ends, means for supporting said taill piece upon and detach# ably securing it to thelower legl section, forwardly extending arms upon t e' knee journal, a link pivotally connected to the forward end ofvsaid arms and having its rear side recessed and adapted to fit over the knee journal as the joint is bent and an upwardly extending strap connected to the upper end of said link whereby upward tension of said ,strap moves the lower leg section forwardly.

9. In a knee joint of an artificial leg, the combination ofi/a thigh section, a lower leg section, a knee' bolt journaled in the knee.

portion of the thigh section and ri idly connected to the lower leg section, orwardly extending arms upon the knee bolt, a link pivotally connected to the forward end of said arms and having its rearside' recessed and adapted to fit over, the knee bolt as the joint is bent and an upwardl extending strap connected to the upper endyof said link whereby upward tension of said strap moves the lower leg section forwardly.

I0. In aknee combination of a thigh section, a lower leg bolt journaled in the knee joint of an artificial leg, the

' endefl whereby upward tension on said loop .1.0

moves 'che owe' leg section forwardly. l.

n wo whereof l have axed my sig-- nature, in e presence of two Witnesses, thls 4th day of Aug. 1914. A

CHESTER B. WINN.

"nesssfs Gm. ARNULD, HENRY S. BLISS. 

